Gas-shut-off valve



Nov. 5, 1929.

J. s. MCILHENNY 1,734,631

GAS SHUT-OFF VALVE Filed April 9, 1928 I lllL-munulu Patented Nov. 5, 1929 Unirse stares MBit-3i antena carre" JAMES S. MGILHENNY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTBCT OF COLUMBIA GAS-SHUT-OFF VALVE f Application led April 9,

This invention relates to means available in emergency such as in case of coniagrat-ion they distribution of the gas to the consumor other calamity in a building for safely and securely shutting off the connection between the street gas main and the pipe for me under date of December "1', 1926, No.

1,610,020. v j A The main object of the invention is to provide simple, economical, durable, vpractical and thoroughly efficient means for safely and reliably shutting oif the gas when desired or required from the main supply to the distributing pipes within buildings of all types of construction. Y

Another object of the invention is to provide a valve movably mounted within the valve casing located between the outer wall of the building and the street main supply, said valve having operating connections leading therefrom to a suitable point above the street grade, and preferably adjacent to the outer wall of the building whereby a fireman or other authorized person in possession of the standard wrench may readily manipulate the valve and shut off the gas from the street main to the building.

Y Another obj ect of the invention is to so vconstruct lthe valve operating means that when the valve is rocked into ,the closed position it will be automatically sealed in its closed position, and will be retained in such position and locked against accidental opening or displacement thereof.

The foregoing and such other objects as may appear from the ensuing description are attained by the construction, arrangement, location and combination of the several parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularlypointed out in the claims appended hereto, itbeing understood that slight changes in the precise proportions and minorl details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacriiicing any of the advantages of this invention.

192s. serial no. 268,523.

In the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification it will be seen that:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the means embodying my invention, showing said means connected with abuilding, and showing a portion of the-wall of the building broken away. f

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation taken in the plane of the dotted lin'es2-2, Fig. l,

looking in the'direction of the arrows f Figure 3 isv a central horizontal section throughy the valve casing, or body, taken-in the plane 'of the ldotted lines 3&3, Fig. 2, showing the valve in its closed or seated position, and n i l f y Figure 4l isa plan view of the deviceshown in Fig. 2 with the cap removed therefrom.

. In the embodiment of my invention as illustrated itwill be seen that the numeral 1 designates a portion of a vertical front wall of a building,'2 the grade line outside of the building, and 3the usual gas pipe connection leading to Vand connected with the street gas main (not ,shown).' Suitably disposed below the grade line and adjacentto the building wall is a valve casing 4, and connected to one end of said valve casing is a gas inlet pipe 5 which is passedthrough the walland connected to a clean out T '6, from which leads a pipe 7 adapted to be connected with the ordinary gas meter or manifold (not shown) and from which meter the gas is distributed by suitable pipes throughout the building in the ordinary and well known manner.

By referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings it will be perceived that the valve casing or body 4 is formed with an integral extension at each side of its central portion, said eXtensions having an opening therethrough forming a bearing surface for the valve stem 8, one extension 9 being formed withl a screwthreaded socket within its outer end for the reception of a suitable packing sleeve 10 surrounding said stem, and the other extension 11 being formed with a screw-threaded opening therethrough for the reception of the split or slotted lower vend 12 of the valvey stem 8, and the adjustable valve stem retaining and locking means 13. The valve stem 8 is provided centrally Within the valve casing or body with a flattened portion 14C which is embraced by the yokeeshaped end of an arm 15, said end and flattened portion being formed with an opening therethrough for the reception of a suitable screw-threaded securing pin or bolt 16 for firmly and fixedly securing the yoke end of the arm 15 to the valve stem 8, and intermediate the ends of said arm through its vertical centre is formed an opening therethrough for the reception of a screwthreaded bolt 17 for securing said arm to the rocking valve 18, said valve being provided With a central inner extension 19 seated in contact with the adjacent face of the arm 15, which valve isadapted to open and to securely close the gasV inlet passage leading to the building Suitably securedy to and seated upon the valve casing' or body 4, and surrounding the extension 9, is a tubular casing 2O extending upwardly above the street grade, and secured in any suitable manner to the upper end of sai-d casing 20 is a cap 21, which is formed with a` specially constructed integral top extension 22 forth'e receptionv of the standard Wrench or other`- implement used bya fireman o'r other author-ized personfor the removal of the cap, and Within the casing 2O is the upper end of the valve stem 8 Whichis preferably formed with` a` special contour at its outer end 23, corresponding in formation with the extension 22 ofthe cap 21, whereby the fireman or other authorized person When desired, may cause the valve stem to be moved a quarter turn by the' use ofthe standard Wrench or implement, thus causing the valve, carried by said stem, to be rocked from the open into the closed position, this partial turn of the valve forcing the slotted end of the valve stein downwardly against the beveled end 24 of the stein retaining end and locking means 13, thus expanding the split or slotted end of the valve lstem into locked contact with the internally threaded portion of the extension 11 for firmly securing the valve in its closed position.

Since it is of special importance that there be no escape or leakage of gas through the valve after the said valve has been seated or closed', it Will be perceived that my improved means provides an invvardintegral extension 25y forming a part of the inner face of the valve casing 4, to Whichv extension is suitably and fiXedly secured a specially formed bronze metal leaf spring 26, having a reinforcing spring leaf 27 secured in contact with the rear facev of the spring 26, the upper curved end portion 28' of the said spring resting in contactl With the outer face of the arm 15, which carries the valve 18 when the valve is in closed position, and since the tension of the spring 26 is reinforced by the reinforcing leaf 27, saidspring effectively serves to seal the valve in its closedI position, and maintain the valve in its sealed position, thereby preventing any accidental opening, leakage, or displacement of the valve, until it is desired to open the valve, When it is necessary to use sufiicient force or pressure to overcome the tension of the valve securing spring 27, as Will be readily understood.

The operation of my improved gas shutoff means may be briefly described as follows:

When a building equipped with gas distribution and consuming means is under conflagration or a portion or portions of the building is collapsed or any similar calamity occurs Within a building, it is advisable to prevent explosions by cutting off the flow of gas from the main supply to the building ;y

further, it is also advisable to so Aconstruct the gas shut-ofir1 means that only a :fireman or other authorized person be in possession of the standard means to operate the gas cut-off means, hence when a fire or other calamity takes place Within a building, it is only necessary for a fireman or other authorized person provi ded With the standard implement to give a quarter turn to the valve stem operating' connection, which quarter turn imparts a partial rotary movement to the valve stem and valve, thus causing the valve to be moved from its open to its closed position, and to be automatically sealed and retained in its closed position, thus preventing any accidental opening or displacement ofthe valve caused bythe jarring from heavy traffic or other reasons, and until it is opened by an authorized person provided With the proper standard implement and using sufficient force to open the valve against the tension of the valve locking and sealing means hereinbefo're described. v

Having thus described my invention what l claim and Idesire to secure by Letters Patent 1s:-

1. A device of the character described, comprising a valve casing formed of a single casting having oppositely' disposed integral eX'- tensions, a valve stem fitted vertically Within said extensions and casing, a laterally eXtending arm fiXedly secured to said stem, a valve having a central inner extension seated upon the arm, said arm extending beyond the rear face of said valve, and means secured Within the casing adapted to Contact With the outer end portion of the arm When the valve is in closed position.

2. A device of the character described,com prising a valve casing formed of asingle casting having oppositely disposed integral eX- tensions, a valve stein secured vertically Within said extensions and casing, a tubular casing fiXedly disposed upon said valve casing, a laterally extending arm fixedly secured to said stem, a valve having a central inner extension fixedly secured to sai-'d arm, and means secured Within the casing adapted to contact With'the'rcar face'of said arm vWhen 'iso the valve has been moved to closed position to maintain the Valve against its seat.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a valve casing having oppositely disposed integral extensions, a valve stem secured vertically Within said extensions and casing, a tubular casing disposed upon the valve casing, a laterally extended arm secured to said stem, a valve formed With a central inner extension secured to said arm7 said arm extendinrf beyond the inner face of the valve, and a bronze metallic leaf spring secured to the inner face of the valve casing and adapted to bear against the rear face of said arm When the valve has been moved to closed position.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a valve casing formed With oppositely disposed integral extensions7 a valve stem mounted Within said extensions, a laterally extended arm secured to said stem, a valve formed with a central extension secured centrally to said arm, an extended integral lug portion formed on tlie inner face of said casing, and a reinforced vbronze metallic leaf spring secured t0 the inner face of said lug portion, said spring being adapted to contacty With the outer end portion of sai-d arm When the valve has been moved to closed position to maintain the valve closed.

5. A device of the character described, comprising an integral valve casing formed With oppositely disposed integral extensions7 a valve stem mounted Within said extensions, a tubular casing disposed upon the valve casing,

' a laterally extended armfixedly secured to said stem, a valve centrally secured upon said arm, said valve having a central inner extension, an inward extension formed on the inner face of the valve casing, and a metallic leaf spring secured to the inner face of the last named extension, said spring being formed With a curved outer end adapted to impinge against the outer end portion of the said arm When the valve is moved to closed position to maintain the valve closed.

JAMES S. MGILHENNY. 

